1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to both the fields of ground transportation of passengers and ground transportation of freight.
2. Statement of the Problem
The adoption of uniform standards for containers in 1968 by the International Standards Organization (ISO) precipitated a rapid growth of the containerized freight industry. Shipping companies quickly recognized the advantages of intermodal containers as opposed to traditional break-bulk transportation of cargo. Traditionally, break-bulk transportation required the cargo to be packaged and repackaged in-route (e.g., from truck trailer to rail car to ship). Containerization on the other hand, permits cargo to move from a point of origin to a final destination in a single intermodal container, thus reducing costs, shipping time, and minimizing customs formalities. The same container can be carried successively by ship, by rail car, and by truck. In addition, break-bulk transportation continues to play a major role in the freight industry.
Although passenger coaches travel many of the same routes as trains and trucks, and indeed even service some routes not regularly serviced by trucks or trains, the currently structured coach industry does not significantly participate in the freight market. Although the currently structured coach industry can haul limited loads (e.g., small, lightweight packages on some routes) along with passengers, it is not currently equipped to significantly enter the freight market while still serving passengers,
In addition, some routes serviced by coaches become unprofitable as the cost of servicing the route exceeds passenger demand, thereby reducing the mobility of people living in these isolated or outlying areas that are unable to afford private transportation (e.g., some elderly, disabled, and economically disadvantaged residents). Likewise, congestion in many urban areas is also becoming an ever increasing problem and operating separate coaches and freight trucks in these areas increases the congestion and associated pollution.
Therefore, to serve the transportation needs of outlying communities and congested urban areas and participating in the freight market, the following needs exist in the coach industry:
1. to transport containerized freight while simultaneously transporting passengers; PA1 2. to provide a chassis that supports both a passenger area and a freight area. PA1 3. to provide a comfortable and quiet passenger area adjacent a freight area; PA1 4. to arrange the wheels and axles of the vehicle to support various loading conditions, and to provide traction, maximize fuel efficiency, and minimize tire wear; PA1 5. to provide a suspension system that supports freight while maintaining the comfort and quiet of the ride for passengers; PA1 6. to interconnect the frame supporting the passenger area with the frame supporting the freight area in such a way that the stress and forces are transferred throughout the vehicle; PA1 7. to distribute the forces acting on the vehicle from both the passenger area and the freight loaded thereon under various passenger and freight loading conditions; PA1 8. to position the engine in such a way that minimum ground clearances are maintained while maximizing the height of the freight that can be loaded onto the freight area; PA1 9. to improve the profitability of existing routes by hauling freight in addition to passengers; PA1 10. to expand market share in the coach industry by adding new routes; PA1 11. to combine both freight and passenger service, especially in heavily congested areas; PA1 12. to aggressively price passenger tickets by supplementing passenger fares with freight transportation fees; PA1 13. to provide a flexible vehicle (i.e., one that can be used in different freight markets with little or no modification to the vehicle).
The prior art does not address these concerns. For example, Wirbitzky, NEOPLAN, double-decker buses, pp. 162-163 (1980), shows a test bus having a passenger compartment and a container for shuttle service between two NEOPLAN assembly plants. The test bus was designed to test suspension by placing a load on the back. The freight container, while removable, is not the standardized intermodal container discussed above that can be used interchangeably between other modes of transportation (e.g., train, ship, and truck). The test bus was constructed using a Spaceliner (a proprietary design of Neoplan Germany) and not a double-decker coach. A Spaceliner is a coach featuring a raised full length passenger level above a lowered driver, baggage, galley, and lavatory area. In addition, wheel and axle numbers and arrangements that would support the vehicle under various loading conditions are not shown nor discussed. No details are given with respect to the frame or frames supporting the vehicle, the suspension, or other structural details. Nor are any examples of use given, such as expanding market share in both passenger and freight markets, adding new routes, scheduling the simultaneous transportation of freight and passengers, etc.